More than two and a half years have passed since Last Epoch officially launched in February 2024. With several seasons having come and gone, players returning for Season 5 will likely feel like everything is brand new. For those returning to Last Epoch after a long break, here is a summary of the key changes made in each season from official launch up to Season 5.
Season 1
■ Nemesis System
A new endgame item farming feature, the 'Nemesis' system, was added. Interacting with a tomb-like armor construct discovered while exploring Echoes displays four items. From there, you are given three choices: 'Empower', 'Challenge', and 'Banish'.
It is a straightforward feature: if you need the items, select 'Challenge' to defeat the Nemesis. If you don't need them, click 'Banish' to reset the item list for the next encounter without fighting the Nemesis.
'Empower' is an option to upgrade the items currently on the list. The same item can be empowered up to two times. When defeated, the Nemesis escapes, and you can claim the empowered item the next time you encounter it. Items are upgraded by adding affixes, raising affix tiers, or adding potential.
■ Evade Key
Starting around July 2024, evading became possible using the spacebar. It comes with two default charges and, unlike standard dodge mechanics, is not a skill that grants invincibility frames. It simply helps players dodge enemy attacks or ground effects more easily. The base cooldown is 4 seconds and decreases as character level increases, reducing to 2.7 seconds at level 100.
■ Endgame Faction - The Forgotten Knights
The first endgame faction was introduced. Defeating a Level 90 Timeline boss leads to your first encounter with a 'Harbinger', and defeating it unlocks the endgame faction 'The Forgotten Knights'. Afterward, players can increase their faction rank by defeating Harbingers under increasingly higher Corruption requirements in each timeline.
It grants various bonuses, such as increasing Stability gains, empowering Nemesis effects, and allowing players to reroll Blessings to achieve higher values.
Season 2
■ Endgame Area - Crypts
A procedurally generated endgame area, 'Crypts', was added. Entering a Crypt that randomly appears inside an Echo and clearing the boss allows players to add random-tier affixes and stats to Class Idols. Up to two affixes can be applied to a Class Idol.
The first enchantment on the same idol is free, but subsequent enchantments consume 'Memory Amber'. Memory Amber can be acquired by destroying cocoons within the area and defeating the enemies that emerge.
■ Endgame Feature - Woven Echoes
'Woven Echoes', which can be obtained in Crypts and Cemeteries, were added. Woven Echoes are stored in a separate tab and come in dozens of unique types. After clearing a 'Cemetery' zone in the Monolith, players can manually socket Woven Echoes into desired locations to add new events or powerful bonuses, enhancing the farming experience.
■ Endgame Faction - The Woven
The endgame faction 'The Woven' was added. Unlike standard factions, players are not restricted to joining just one endgame faction; they can belong to multiple endgame factions simultaneously.
The Woven faction allows access to the 'Weaver Passive Tree', which can influence Echoes within the Monolith. It provides various effects, such as increasing the drop rate of Woven Echoes or increasing the number of monsters in Tombs and Cemeteries. Members of The Woven can also purchase Woven Echoes from vendors.
■ Set Item Crafting System
Players can craft new set items using set affix shards obtained by breaking down existing set items. Rather than wearing predefined set pieces for fixed set bonuses, this crafting system allows players to apply their desired set effects onto existing equipment.
■ Mastery Respec & Sentinel Rework
Previously, once a Mastery was chosen, it could not be changed. However, starting in Season 2, players can respec their Mastery using gold. It can easily be changed via an NPC, and because the cost is cheaper at lower levels, it is best to make the change early if desired.
The Sentinel's base skills, Mastery skills, and weapon mechanics underwent major overhauls. Paladin and Void Knight received extensive passive reworks, while Forge Guard gained the ability to dual-wield a two-handed weapon with a shield. Base class skills introduced time-manipulation mechanics such as 'Volatile Reversal' and 'Anomaly', among various other changes.
Season 3
■ Rift Beasts
'Rift Beasts' appear in the new Ancient Era campaign and gameplay. Following footprint markers on the map leads to an encounter with a Primal Dragon. Upon winning the battle, players can choose one of three evolutions. While the Rift Beast's attack patterns become more varied, its rewards also increase. This evolution applies starting from the next Rift Beast encounter.
Defeating a Primal Dragon grants a currency called 'Ancient Skulls', which can be used to purchase 'Primal Unique Items' from vendors. Only one Primal item can be equipped at a time.
■ Acolyte Mastery Rework - Necromancer & Lich
The Acolyte Masteries, Necromancer and Lich, received reworks. The Necromancer gained a minion behavior toggle, allowing players to choose between offensive and defensive stances. In offensive mode, minions prioritize targets farther from the player, focusing on bosses and rare enemies first. In defensive mode, they target enemies closer to the player. Minion damage scaling and damage reduction based on player level were also buffed, along with substantial passive and skill reworks.
The Lich also received passive and skill reworks, increasing build flexibility and enabling two-handed weapon usage. A new whip-slashing skill was also added.
■ Merchant's Guild Faction Improvements
To improve trading convenience, two new tokens were added. 'Merchant Tokens' remove Favor costs when purchasing items, while 'Black Market Tokens' lower rank requirements to allow item purchases. Tokens are granted based on faction rank and can also drop with a low probability when defeating monsters.
■ Chapter 10 Campaign Added
Following Chapter 9, Chapter 10 was added, introducing new stories and enemies centered around the Ancient Era. Completing it grants a reward of +1 to all attributes.
Season 4
■ Corruption
The concept of 'Corruption' was introduced, adding Runes of Corruption and Corrupted Items. Applying a Rune of Corruption to an item causes unpredictable changes and prevents further crafting. The item's Forging Potential and Legendary Potential are also removed.
Corrupted items can gain extra modifiers, have their affix values randomly increased or decreased, or undergo changes in rarity or attributes. Caution is required, as items can become completely unusable, making it a high-risk endeavor.
■ Idol Altars
'Idol Altars' were added, allowing players to alter the shape of their Idol grid and gain special effects. Each Idol Altar has a different layout, so players must use an Idol Altar that fits their current Idols. Placing Idols into glowing slots on an Idol Altar grants additional bonuses.
■ Spears of the Harbinger
'Spears of the Harbinger', a new open-world farming feature, were added. Interacting with one triggers waves of enemy attacks along with a powerful 'Harbinger'. Surviving the enemy waves enables players to attack the Harbinger, which drops various items upon defeat, including Corrupted items, Idol Altars, and Runes of Corruption.
One of the item drops from defeating a Harbinger is a currency called 'Hourglass Shards', which can be brought to endgame NPCs to exchange for Runes of Corruption, Corrupted items, or used to form special Echo Chains.
■ Echo Chains
Echo Chains enhance rewards in endgame areas. Simply put, it generates a series of consecutive Echoes that share the same special mechanic. Each Echo can feature variations such as Nemesis encounters or Rift Beasts. The final Echo in an Echo Chain yields even greater rewards.
■ Rogue Rework
Two new skills were added to the Rogue: Shadow Sever and Blade Storm. Shadow Sever is a skill where the character dashes a short distance, leaving behind a Shadow in their original position that mimics their attacks. Blade Storm throws spinning blades to a designated location, dealing continuous area-of-effect damage. Shadow Sever is unlocked by increasing character level, while Blade Storm is unlocked through the passive tree.
Season 5
■ Endgame Boss - Morditas
A new endgame boss, 'Morditas', will be added. While detailed information has not been fully disclosed, Morditas appears to put pressure on players using Cold and Blood attacks.
■ Rage of Morditas
As a new farming mechanic added for Season 5, players acquire 'Rage of Morditas' within Frozen Blood Crystals to gain new powers and claim rewards. Defeating enemies fills a progress bar, triggering random buffs each time a kill milestone is reached.
After the event ends, players can perform a 'Blood Ritual' to remove items from a specific slot, preventing the same item type from appearing and granting 'Blood Forging Potential', which increases the chance of critical success during crafting. Alternatively, players can perform a 'Frozen Ritual' to lock a slot to the same item type and grant 'Frost Forging Potential', which provides a chance to consume no Forging Potential when crafting.
■ New Skills
New skills are added: 'Radiant Lance' for Paladin, 'Dreamslash' for Bladedancer, and 'Summon Tide Elemental' for Shaman. Radiant Lance infuses light into the shield to fire a beam of light at enemies in front, while Dreamslash dashes forward to strike enemies along the path. Summon Tide Elemental summons a minion that casts Cold spells.
■ Item Faction Improvements
The Merchant's Guild and Circle of Fortune receive major overhauls. The Merchant's Guild sees improvements to search and trading convenience, alongside new features like price offers and automatic price reduction options. Additionally, rank requirements previously needed to purchase new item types have been removed.
The Circle of Fortune now lets players directly select Prophecy rewards, making targeted farming much easier. Rewards can be obtained more reliably, and the scope of Prophecies has expanded, allowing players to focus on their desired loot.
